Sections of the Conservative Party and the right-wing media had never accepted the idea of a coalition government, Gerard said.

He went on: "We also do need to take some kind of degree of perspective about this. It sounds like it's a bit of inappropriate behaviour, a clumsy pass which I am not remotely defending, but I think we shouldn't be treating it as some kind of major major crisis.

"It's just something that's unfortunate but is being blown out of all proportion."